Angels star Shohei Ohtani to miss next start vs. Rangers due to arm fatigue
Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani will miss his next scheduled pitching start on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers to rest his arm.
The two-way star will not take any time off as the team’s designated hitter, but is taking a break from pitching due to arm fatigue, manager Phil Nevin told reporters ahead of the team's matchup with the Houston Astros on Sunday.
“He feels good at the plate,” Nevin said via the Associated Press. “He feels healthy swinging at bat. It’s just the (throwing) right now, he’s got some normal arm fatigue that happens at times.”
Nevin emphasized Ohtani is not injured, telling reporters the right-hander would return to the rotation during a series at home against the Reds that begins Aug. 21.
“I’ve told you guys many times he knows his body better than anybody,” Nevin said. “I trust him when he talks about it. He’s assured me there’s no pain, there’s no injury. He’s got some regular arm fatigue that some go through at times. I trust him when he tells me this and he’ll be ready for his next time out.”
The 29-year-old went into Sunday's game with a 3.17 ERA as a pitcher, though he had to leave a start after just four innings earlier this month due to difficulty extending his right middle finger. As a hitter, he notched his AL-leading 41st home run of the season in Sunday's 2-1 Angels win over the Astros.
Ohtani has played in 116 of the Angels' 118 games as of Sunday, starting as a pitcher in 22 of those them. His break from serving as a starting pitcher comes as he hasn't received a day off since early May. He hasn't technically been removed from a game before its end since July 28, a pull that came in the ninth inning.
